Working together for proper wastewater management in uncertain times – moving towards a carbon neutral and climate resilient recovery

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peru’s sanitation service providers continue to fulfil their responsibilities to provide safe and reliable water and sanitation services for the population, although many of them are already facing insufficient resources, staff shortages and disruptions in the supply chain of chemicals and personal protective equipment, which may affect the service continuity.

In particular, as far as wastewater is concerned, service providers need to adopt measures for preventing COVID-19´s spread among their personnel and ensuring wastewater treatment´s continuity while protecting the environment and climate. Proper wastewater management will not only address the pandemic but also move towards ensuring urban water security and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

As the pandemic progresses, service providers will require measures to prepare for, respond to and recover from the pandemic, and to ensure wastewater treatment´s continuity in changing situations.

As an example, the Cusco city´s service provider (SEDACUSCO), with the support of the Swiss Cooperation – SECO and the German Development Cooperation implemented by GIZ, through WaCCliM and PROAGUA II, has drawn up a Pandemic COVID-19 Contingency Plan for its Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) San Jerónimo, focusing on protecting personnel´s health, maintaining essential operations, facilities, equipment and supplies, and communicating with customers and government authorities.

The Contingency Plan of the wastewater treatment plant San Jerónimo analyzes critical processes to ensure continuity of operations in the face of personnel shortages; critical inputs and materials to overcome interruptions in the supply chain, and strategies in case critical services and/or contracts cannot be executed.

This Contingency Plan is part of a tool series for sanitation service providers to ensure the services´ continuity in the face of the pandemic, benefiting thousands of Peruvians and moving towards a carbon neutral and climate resilient recovery.

This good practice example of SEDACUSCO water and wastewater utility is very important for replicating with other service providers across the country, who are still adapting to operating wastewater treatment systems in the face of the pandemic, while protecting the environment and climate.